Five Songs for Trayvon Martin: The Hip-Hop Community Express Their Outrage

The February 26 shooting death of an African-American youth named Trayvon Martin has ignited a nationwide outcry. Marches across the country, including Los Angeles, took place yesterday to demand justice and another round of demonstrations are slated for today. The 17 year-old was walking in a Sanford, Florida gated community after returning from a convenience store when he was followed by George Zimmerman, a 28 year-old self-appointed neighborhood watch volunteer.

The tragic episode has inspired numerous solidarity actions from the Miami Heat to hoodie marches. (Brown clown Geraldo Rivera said on Fox News that Martin's hoodie was just as responsible for what transpired!) In indignation, hip-hop artists have also raised their voices critiquing institutional racism in a growing number of tribute songs, some of which include samples of 9-1-1 calls made public.

Here's a list of five tracks and key lyrics in memory of Martin:

1. Mistah F.A.B. - God Don't Love Me (RIP Trayvon Martin)

Key lyrics: "The whole world wanna talk about Kony / But ain't nobody speakin' on the lil' homie"

2. Jasiri X - Trayvon

Key lyrics: "Trayvon never gave his cousin his skittles / Missed the All-Star Game didn't see another dribble"

3. Tahir Jahi - Date of My Death (Trayvon Martin)

Key Lyrics: "When you're black or brown / You know this is not isolated / It's built into fabric of our history / We want justice and this is not a mystery"

4. Reef the Lost Cauze - The Prey (For Trayvon Martin)

Key lyrics: "I ain't write this to capitalize / I wrote this after the shock, after the cries / I wrote this cause a feeling I had trapped inside / I wrote this cause I'm a father and this like that was my child"

5. Plies - We Are Trayvon (Trayvon Martin Tribute)

Key lyrics: "I never thought wearing no hoodie, could cost your life / And I never thought you could just kill somebody and get out the same night"